Peyton Manning and Matt Stafford will face off Sunday in Detroit. (Getty Images)

The Broncos travel to Detroit this weekend to face the Lions in a Week 3 prime-time matchup on their turf. The game is a reunion for Peyton Manning and his former coach in Indianapolis, Jim Caldwell. It’s also a reunion for Matt Prater and Manny Ramirez, both former Broncos.

Here’s a look at what Caldwell and others in Detroit have had to say about the Broncos this week:

JIM CALDWELL, COACH

On how Broncos safety T.J. Ward can impact the game:
“I’ve had a lot of opportunities to see him over the years when he was in Cleveland we were at Baltimore. He’s an active guy. He runs and makes plays and he does a nice job just in terms of anticipating what you’re going to do because he’s seen a lot. Those guys that have that kind of experience, they’re not — like (Glover) Quin, for us, there’s not a whole lot of things that he hasn’t seen and they can anticipate and adjust and he’s a good tackler. So he’s a real tone-setter for them back there.”

On kicker Matt Prater facing his former team:
“He’s a pro. Those guys don’t go through the type of true emotional swings that you would anticipate. I mean this guy has been through a lot of football games and he’s played against maybe ex-teammates and other things that could’ve stirred him emotionally, as well. So this game, I don’t think it will make that much of a difference to him. They all want to play and compete well, but not something to the point where someone gets unrealistic about what he’s capable of doing. But I think he’s got a good head on his shoulders, but he’s a competitor, too.”

On DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller:
“Two very unique rushers that have a unique blend of tremendous power and speed and tenacity. To have bookends like that gives you all kinds of problems because, typically, if you have one, you may be able to slide your line in that direction. You can do some things creatively to kind of slow one guy down. When you have two, it makes it extremely difficult. Those guys are as good as they come.”

On the main thing that he learned from working with Manning:
“There’s many. I can just tell you, he’s quite rare. He’s an unusual guy.”

TERYL AUSTIN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

On C.J. Anderson and Denver’s running game:
“They’re not going to juke around, they’re not going to shimmy and shake; they’re going to get positive yards. … What they have is an opportunity to make the big play because they are going to hit that hole real fast and they’re going to hit it downhill. They’re not going to fool around.”

On giving Manning exotic looks:
“He’s probably seen it all. Maybe I have to recruit Jim to be our defensive coordinator this week because he knows him better than anyone. No, I think our biggest thing is we just have to play sound football. That gives you the best chance against a guy like Peyton Manning, because you’re not going to fool him. You’re not going to get him out of whack in terms of a coverage that he hasn’t seen.”

On Caldwell’s help in preparing for Manning during the Ravens’ Super Bowl run:
“We might know a formation or certain thing that he does, but he’s not going to change it up because he probably scouts himself better than anybody. Jim just gave us a couple things that maybe in the 10 years he was with Peyton that he doesn’t like too much. It doesn’t mean you’ll be able to get it done on him that day, but there’s a few things that maybe you can do a little bit better than he does.”

On the criticism of Manning now:
“Anytime you’re dealing with a veteran, he’s not going to be the same Peyton he was seven, eight years ago. But, where he may not physically be the same guy, mentally he’s as sharp as they come and a lot of this game is mental and how fast you can make a decision and get the ball there. So he doesn’t have to throw a fast ball every time, but he can deliver it accurately, he can deliver it before the guy gets out of his break because he knows what’s coming, he anticipates. He does what I like to call ‘throw a guy open.’ He doesn’t wait until he gets open and throws it; he throws it and then all of the sudden the guy’s open. It’s because Peyton threw him open. I don’t put much into that in terms of, ‘Well, he’s going down.’ Or anything like that. You still have a great quarterback, great student of the game, who’s going to get his team in the best position to make plays and we just have to do a better job than they do this week.”

On Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas:
“He can beat you deep, he can beat you on the tunnel screen because he’s so big and strong. He can beat you by running dig routes, so he’s really a well-rounded receiver, but he’s one of the elite receivers in the league.”

JOE LOMBARDI, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

On the Broncos’ secondary:
“Well, they’ve got two really good corners, obviously. So they’re guys that can cover, so that’s a challenge, but we feel good about our receivers, too. Their safeties are real goo,d too. Ward is a really active player, smart player. Whenever they’ve got good players — and it’s a very — they do less better, so to speak. You kind of know what you’re going to get from them, but they execute very well. They’ve got good players all across the board, so when you combine the pass rushers they have with the cover guys they have, it’s certainly challenging.”

MATT PRATER, K

On if he feels bitterness toward the Broncos:
“No. There’s no bitterness. I’m appreciative of the opportunity they did give me. I was there for eight years and had a lot of great memories and won a lot of ball games out there. I have no hard feelings.”

On how he looks back on his time in Denver:
“I just try to remember the good times — some of the kicks I made and some of the wins. We went to a Super Bowl, which not a lot of people have done, obviously. The coaches — I had great relations with the three head coaches that were there, along with the special teams coaches. It will be nice seeing everybody.”

MATT STAFFORD, QB

On facing Ware and Miller:
“You’re definitely cognizant of them. They’re good players, they’re really good players. They’re playing at a high level. DeMarcus looks like the young DeMarcus Ware and he’s rushing the passer great. Von is a special player, too. They’ve got talent at every level on that defense — up front, in their linebacker core and then obviously they’ve got three Pro Bowlers in the secondary, too. They’ve got a good defense, well coached. (Defensive coordinator Wade) Phillips does a good job with those guys. They’re where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be there and they’re playing hard.”

On what makes Miller and Ware so effective:
“I think their scheme. They do a great job of just letting those guys be themselves. Let them go rush the passer. Let them play football without having to think too much. They’re athletic freaks. Both of them, for big, physical guys, bend extremely well, can run under a table full-speed it seems like. Super low to the ground, they’re flying. They both have long arms. If you wanted to build a pass rusher on Madden, that’s probably what it would look like.”

On how much he learns from watching Manning:
“Quite a bit. Shoot, I feel like I grew up watching him. Now I’ve got to play against him. He’s been playing this game for a long time. He’s definitely a talented player. He and I play the game probably a little bit differently, but his mental side of the game is second to none.”

On the strength of Denver’s secondary:
“That’s part of what makes them really good is they can hold up in the back end while they’re getting to the quarterback. It works hand in hand. If you’re a rusher, you want to have good corners behind you so it gives you that extra half-second to get to the quarterback. And if you’re a corner, you want good rushers so you don’t have to cover for as long. They have both. It’s part of what makes them a really good defense.”

CALVIN JOHNSON, WR

On Chris Harris:
“He likes to get in the mix. He’ll mix it up with anybody. He finds a way to be around the ball. I’ve seen him just from watching games on TV in the past, he’s always out there around the ball. That’s a good thing for DB, especially because you never know when a ball is going to come loose or when there’s going to be a tipped ball.”

RASHEAN MATHIS, CB

On if Manning is the best quarterback he’s faced:
“Definitely, hands down. I could be biased because I saw him two times a year for 10 years, but numbers prove it. He’s great at what he does.”

On if Manning is more dangerous now because people are doubting his physical ability:
“It depends if the team he’s facing is doubting him. I know the critics are. We as professional athletes — respect is due. We definitely give him respect, but we don’t respect anybody too much. He’s still a man. He still puts on his pants just like we do. He is a great player.”

On if he has an added familiarity with Manning because he used to play him frequently:
“The point where I know that he’s going to be at his best, not being to the point where I can read his mail. Knowing that he’s going to be at his best and knowing that we have to be on our best to be him, yes, definitely.”

MANNY RAMIREZ, C

On playing against the team that traded him:
“It’s kind of different just because I’ve played there for so many years, but I’m focused where I am today, making sure that this team is successful and we’re able to get back on track. It doesn’t really matter who we’re playing. It is the Broncos, but we have to make sure that we get back on track ourselves.”

DARRYL TAPP, DE

On if Manning is the best quarterback that he’s played against:
“If he’s not the best, he’s top three with Tom (Brady) and Brett Favre.”

On separates Manning from other NFL quarterbacks:
“He’s smart. Anything that you give him early in the game, he can recall it. He has a photographic memory. He can recall it later on in the game and bring it back up. He can thrash you. The one time that I played Peyton when I was with the Eagles was probably the best game plan that I’ve ever seen put together for that particular person that I’ve been a part of. At that point in time, it was week nine or ten. It was part of the the game plan from each of the weeks leading up to it. For one series, use this game plan and toss it. Then use another game plan and toss it so that he can’t recall what we were doing. (Teryl Austin) has some stuff cooked up for them this week. Hopefully for us, we’ll practice it well this week, implement it in the game and things will work out for us.”

On Manning being able play at a high level for a long period of time:
“It’s surreal, man. He’s the ultimate competitor, smart and makes every throw. I don’t understand the talk about him falling off or getting older. The guy is top notch.”

On Manning having lost zip on his passes:
“Are they still receptions? If he can throw the ball out of his hand, he’s still good to go.”

On if Manning is more dangerous now that people doubt him:
“Probably so. I don’t doubt him, so hopefully he’ll take that into account when he plays us. He’s the real deal. He’s definitely the real deal, it’ll be exciting to play him, but hopefully we’re on the other end this week.”

LAADRIAN, WADDLE, T

On coming back to face Miller:
“That’s the NFL, especially blocking defensive ends. Those guys are freak athletes and coming off of the edge hard every week, regardless of the team. This week we got the cream of the crop. We have some big guys coming off of the edge, but we have to be ready to go.”

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.